This invention relates to improvements in portable space heaters making them more economical to fabricate, more rugged in construction, easier to assemble and maintain, quieter in operation and more efficient and satisfactory in use.
An ever present problem in the fabrication of portable heaters is the cost of material, parts and their assembly. Parts as heretofore fabricated have demanded careful fit and even then their consistent and proper fit on a production basis has been difficult to maintain. The form of the parts and their relatively poor interrelation have not only introduced excess cost factors in their production but have many times resulted in unnecessary and objectionable noise and vibration in their use. Apart from this, the application of air to support combustion in such heaters has not been as efficient as one might desire. Further problems have stemmed from lack of constructional integrity in portable heaters which has at times led to inadvertent damage by reason of rough handling. It was to overcome problems such as this that efforts were applied which resulted in some unexpectedly advantageous improvements forming part of the present invention.
The portable heater art has been developed and explored over a period of many years and applicants are conversant with a considerable portion of the prior art. However, applicants cannot point to any prior art which comes to their mind as specifically pertinent to the particular improvements of the present invention. Nevertheless, by way of reference as to the point of development of the heaters of the type herein illustrated, they note U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,642.